


A Chance to Learn

by adenicy



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, likely all party members eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:14:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9262985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adenicy/pseuds/adenicy
Summary: Sera and Cole get along for once. No one in the Inner Circle was planning on keeping their crush a secret anyway, right?





	

            Every so often, the hedge mage looks at her with a big, excited grin and no troubles on his shoulders and Tsuvlan almost forgets what he has said before then. Solas has been describing the cause and effect of the Veil’s influence here and what it means to expect at rifts. It’s a subject Tsuvlan desires to learn more about, but the cause of his cheerfulness is of considerable interest to her as well. _We’re here to help put an end to the last few troubles in the Hinterlands, not to admire the apostates,_ she reminds herself. Bumping into each other she catches the smell of the pressed flowers she gave him a few days ago, and forgets why she chides herself.

            Behind them Sera makes a noise that sounds somewhere between a retch and a groan. Sera and Solas can and likely will pester and patronize each other into a bad mood if no one intervenes. And it’s a rare thing for Solas to walk close and be open.

            Tsuvlan peeks over her shoulder and sees Cole, taking up the rear, perk up. Maybe he thought the same thing, or maybe he read her mind. Hard to tell with him. The spirit trots up next to Sera, about to speak, and Sera veers off to the side of the road.

            “Nuh-uh. No way. That thing should stay away if it wants to keep all its spooky bits.” The first of many warnings Cole is likely receiving on this trip.

            Grumpily pursing his mouth, Cole halts his chase. He looks down as his hands begin to fidget with themselves. Tsuvlan huffs quietly. The plan was to have both someone who understood Cole and someone who didn’t on the same team to gauge how well he would be able to work with the others in dangerous situations. Evidently not well so far, at least not until the ice thoroughly breaks. Maybe at the next camp she’ll call the others with the war horn, and have Sera switch teams with Vivienne.

            Solas begins to include vague gestures in the discussion, pulling Tsuvlan’s attention back to him. The motions further wafts the aroma of the dried petals into the air. _Does he know the scent is so strong?_ Tsuvlan wonders, _Wait, did he bring the entire sachet of flowers with him?_ She tries to force a smile down.

            He bumps her shoulder. “Whom do you intend to bring to the Hissing Wastes?”

            She pauses for a second, caught off guard. “Most likely… Bull and Sera. Bull likes fighting Venatori, Sera can see trouble a mile away.”

            “Eugh. Desert’s dusty and gets in my boots,” Sera interjects, while pretending to stab herself repeatedly with an arrow. Cole is close to her again, and doesn’t seem deterred by her bullying this time.

            “Everyone’s going to get dust everywhere. Especially Mister _I don’t wear shoes even when it’s convenient_ here,” Tsuvlan gives his arm a playful nudge.

            “I am to come along?” Solas asks, a tentative look in his eyes.

            “Of course! You need to learn the value of a good boot,” She says.

            He chuckles and his gait perks up. “Does The Iron Bull need to learn the value of a shirt?” The mage teases back.

            “Nope! Well, he does, but we’ll be traveling at night to avoid the heat and sunburns,” Tsuvlan straightens her posture and poses a hand elegantly, “I am so sorry, my dear, but you first must learn that shoes aren’t as horrid as you imagine.”

            “Spending time with Madame de Fer?” The smile Solas has is almost audible as he responds.

            She nudges him with an elbow, “Jealous?”

            His smile widens, but he doesn’t give a response. A comfortable quiet settles around the two, still bumping shoulders and smiling. The group walks two by two for a while. Cole mumbles to himself, and Sera tries to keep her distance but walks beside the spirit, grousing. For a while their combined complaining is inaudible, but Tsuvlan begins to pick up pieces of what turns out to be an actual civil conversation between the two. She couldn’t be more proud.

            “Pfffff. Bet he’s only interested in _rebuilding_ the _elven empire_ ,” Sera whispers.

            “He is, but I don’t think that you mean what you said, though.”

            Sera giggles. “Her next, Creepy.”

            Tsuvlan freezes up. _Are they reading--?_

            “ _Bottled up but bursting, blushing, blooming--_ ” Cole starts, intoning.

            Tsuvlan’s pride takes a blow to its gut. _Oh, no._ Tsuvlan turns about and tackles Sera, putting the taller elf in a headlock. Cole had been quiet about the group’s thoughts until now. His picking is likely because of Sera’s goading.

            “If you’re going to bug Cole about what’s in my head, be smart about it and do it when I’m not around.” She warns the struggling mess of blonde hair. Tsuvlan knows better--to truly stop her it would take a considerable amount of persuading or blackmail. She just has to keep them from doing so while she and Solas were together. _Near each other,_ she mentally corrects herself. _Present._

            Sera slides out of Tsuvlan’s grip, cackling. Tsuvlan tries to make another grab for Sera as she darts past to use Solas as a shield. Cole doesn’t move much during the scuffle between the two elves, but watches with interest.

            “This is highly immature,” Solas tries to scold her.

            Sera yanks Solas down and whispers excitedly in his ear, then snorts loudly and dances away again, now leading the group. Solas reddens and his expression sours quickly. He even curses in elvish. _Creators, did she just tell him what Cole said?_ Tsuvlan begins to panic and she can feel her blood rush to her head. Her shoulders tense and her feet root her to the spot. Her stare fixes wide-eyed on the ground. _Is it bad etiquette to open a rift and jump in it?_

            Solas pauses for a moment, seeming to consider which line of action to take. Tsuvlan holds her breath, balling her fists. Cole watches from beside her, unafraid he might be her next victim.

            Solas doesn’t turn to face the spirit. “I welcome your aid, Cole, but I must draw the line when you share my thoughts with Sera, of all people,” Solas finally admonishes.

            “Dirty secrets!” The Red Jenny shouts from ahead of them.

            Tsuvlan tries to disguise her sigh of relief as one of annoyance. Considering the line of thought Cole had picked, she couldn’t imagine how Solas’s could be worse. All he could be thinking about was the ratio of battles to the years passed in surrounding areas.

            Cole offers a weak defense, “She wanted to help?”

            Tsuvlan can’t help but to let out a little laugh. Solas’s shoulders heave in a sigh, and she catches up to him again. “Is it something I can know as well? Or actually,” she shoots a look at Sera, who is traipsing away from the group; all swagger and no balance, “help with?”

            He covers his mouth with a hand and buries himself in thought for a moment. He drops his hand to speak, “It is not something I am comfortable sharing at this time. I am sorry.” He pauses for another moment, “Perhaps later.”

            “Alright, falon, take your time. If it makes you feel better, everything is a dirty secret to Sera. But," Tsuvlan warns, teasing, wagging her finger at him, “I’m going to find out. Neither of those two know how to keep their mouths shut.” She gives him a wink before catching up to Sera, and stepping on the back of her shoes.

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoy the banter in the games, I wish there was more of it! Sera's jokes about rebuilding the empire are pretty hilarious to me. And this is the first fanwork I've written, it was prompted by a friend, I'd love critique or advice on improving. Dragon Age is of course property of Bioware, I make no claims to any of their characters or ideas. I hope I did that right.


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